Adult teeth straightening - share your wisdom/experience! 🙏🏻

[NameChangedForThis2025]

I’m finally taking the plunge and getting some consultations for my teeth. As a teenager/ young adult they never used to be reasonably straight but have got progressively worse with age. Now mid 40s and with a wedding on the horizon (next year date tbc) I’ve decided I don’t want to be hiding my smile on my wedding day! I also have a very gummy smile which I don’t love but if my teeth were at least straight that would make a huge difference.

Looking to hear your experiences with either Invisalign or adult braces. I’d prefer Invisalign aesthetically but ultimately think I’ll choose based on cost and effectiveness. So I’d put up with train tracks if it wasn’t much more expensive and was going to the job better/faster. I don’t have ready money to throw at this so it’s going to involve tightening my belt to change my spending habits!

• If you investigated both braces and Invisalign, what made you choose one over the other?
• How long did it take and how much did it cost? (And when did you have it done? Just for inflation info!)
• How frequently did you go for check ups?
• Anything you’d wished you’d known beforehand?
• If you had Invisalign, did you lose weight? I’m a big snacker so that would have to stop!
• Was whitening included in the price?

Finally, are you happy with the results and was it money well spent?!

Before picture for reference!

I went for Invisalign and very happy with the results. You may need either a permanent wire inside your teeth to stop them moving back, or to wear a retainer sometimes at night though, even when treatment is finished

Thanks everyone, that’s been so helpful.

I’ve booked a consultation with my current dentist who only offer Invisalign, as well as one with another practice that does Invisalign and traditional braces and has an orthodontist at the practice.

I’ve been thinking about this for so long now and the cost has always put me off, but I’m excited to get started and finally get it done!

Good luck OP

I'd really advise the orthodontist- mine thought they looked fixable with invisalign but some turned out to be stubborn and I needed his expertise to switch to fixed for a period of time. It might be a higher quote but greater certainty of a good end result.

@NameChangedForThis2025 best of luck I do not think you'll regret it. I had my Invisalign done with my dentist after having also seen an Otho. In my case it was a pretty straightforward plan so I decide to go with the dentist.

I had Invisalign. I don’t remember losing weight… but my teeth were fabulous within 9 months. Best money I ever spent. Whitening and the retainers to wear at night after treatment were included. I keep the retainers clean by putting them in a glass of water with a tablet specifically for retainers every day. Invisalign is a lot quicker than braces, so can feel tight, but it was all worth it. Watching my DD struggle with the long hard slog of braces I’m glad I didn’t go that route.

• If you investigated both braces and Invisalign, what made you choose one over the other?

I preferred the look of invisalign , felt like i'd look like a teenager with train tracks.

• How long did it take and how much did it cost? (And when did you have it done? Just for inflation info!)

Took around 9-10 month and cost around £4k, in 2021-2022.

• How frequently did you go for check ups? Every 3-4 weeks generally
• Anything you’d wished you’d known beforehand? denture tablets are good for cleaning the retainers.
• If you had Invisalign, did you lose weight? I’m a big snacker so that would have to stop! No definitely didn't which is sad.
• Was whitening included in the price? Yes although the whitening i got didn't do much

Finally, are you happy with the results and was it money well spent?!

Yes so happy i did it . I also got composite bonding on my middle top teeth as they were worn away and they all look so much better.

Forgot to mention… I did look at braces v Invisalign… Invisalign worked out cheaper.

I know it is an old tbread, but how are things OP? Did you end up getting Invisalign?

i have just started my first tray two days ago and i am miserable!!! For those of you who had experience of it, can i rinse my mouth with listerine instead of brushing my teeth when out and about?

also no chewing gum allowed?!!! Aarrghhh…

Hi @wannabeCalithe first few days are awful, stick with it and you will get use to it. I just brushed my retainer when I got home. Eg if I had a coffee and cake in a cafe or whatever I just put retainer back in and brushed when home. Each new set of trays can hurt for a day or two as they are the next step up, but I found it got easier as the weeks went on as I got the knack of removing them, cleaning and managing it when out and about.

I’ve gone for train tracks, my midline was about 3mm off centre so Invisalign wouldn’t have moved it enough for my liking, I’ve had them on for less than a year and they’re now almost ready to come off. I paid about £4k, whitening wasn’t included, but I’ve been really pleased with them, I know if I’d had invisalign I wouldn’t remember to put them in consistently so having them fixed was a big plus point for me.

this Is a timely thread - my bottom teeth are very crowded - top ones are fine.

I’m being bombarded now with ads for Invisalign etc and have no idea who to see first .

I’m in my late fifties - I assume it’s never too late ?

I'm 51 and waiting for my last set of refining aligners to finish my teeth off, so you are not too old! It really helps you look more youthful actually.

It will get much much easier don't despair!

I did the same as others when out and about, I just had a swig of water and popped my trays back in, then had a proper clean when I got home. Had no problems whatsoever.

It is hands down the best 5k I have ever spent, I love my smile now and get so many compliments. I was 45 when I had them done.

Hey. Fixed with an orthodontist. Took about a year, I now have fixed wires and occasionally wear retainers. Lost provably a stone due to reduced snacking as I have a public facing job and couldn't keep cleaning after snacks so stopped snacking! My bite was ruined with braces through a dentist as a teenager hence choosing an orthodontist as an adult.

Another question….
is it worth buying an ultrasonic retainer machine to keep the retainers clean? If so, which one do you have? Im wary of reviews on amazon, i never know if they are fake…

@wannabeCali I had one for a while but I found the retainer cleaning tablets worked better for me and got rid of staining better.

I don’t think you’d get a single dentist or orthodontist to say that invisaline are ever more effective/cheaper than traditional braces. The reason they are so good is that they can be almost as good and they are practically indistinguishable. The invisaline type do also come with downsides…. My adult child has them on at the moment and it’s a bit of a pain for them to clean teeth after every meal out. But it’s a balance!

One thing nobody has mentioned as far as I can see though is that you’ll need to add 20% VAT onto any of these prices for incisive type braces as it’s recently been deemed a luxury 😞

https://www.thedentalbarns.co.uk/post/invisalign-vat-price-change-uk-2026

i know this is an older post, but this new information could be useful for anyone reading it now.